Brake Light Illumination System

ABSTRACT

A third brake lighting system for indicating the application of brakes in a vehicle comprising: a panic illumination portion, where the panic illumination indicates an urgent depression of the brakes by a driver of the vehicle; and a conventional illumination portion, where the convention illumination portion abuts the panic illumination portion and said conventional illumination indicates a non-urgent depression of the brakes by the driver. The present invention essentially provides mechanisms to indicate an urgent depression of the brakes by a driver of the vehicle; and mechanisms to indicate a non-urgent depression of the brakes by the driver of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to the brake light illumination systemthat enables the urgency of braking applied by the user.

2. Description of Related Art

Automotive safety is an imperative function and essential when driving avehicle. Many automobiles include various safety features such asseatbelts, airbags, antilock brakes, signaling systems, lighting systemsand numerous sensors that may determine wheel slippage or tire wear.Every vehicle on the road includes a brake light system that initiatesthe illumination of rear lights upon the driver's application of thebrake. This illuminated rear light system provides a visual notificationto any following vehicles that the driver has applied his brakes, thevehicle is slowing down and may be coming to a halt. The rear brakelight system therefore helps to avoid rear-end collisions. The brakelight system is a standard feature on essentially every vehicle on theroad. The braking system includes lights on each side of the rear panel,trunk and/or rear fender of the vehicle. Further, a third light isprovided that is usually positioned either in the rear window or at thetop of the rear panel of the vehicle. The third light is very effectiveduring night driving where the rear driving lights are normallyilluminated red. The illumination of the third light provides a clearindication to the following vehicles that the driver has applied thebrake. In addition to the rear red light system providing signals forbraking as stated above, the lights are illuminated during night drivingand also the rear lights may flash to signal a turn when appropriate.

One disadvantage of the present brake light system is that there isn't aclear indication of urgency or the degree of application of the brake bythe driver. If the driver were to slam on the brakes, then the brakelights turn the same degree of red as if the driver lightly applies thebrake. Consequently, a following driver does not have indication of theurgency of the braking as being applied by the driver. It wouldtherefore be advantageous to have a system that gave further indicationof the degree of braking by the driver and therefore provide anadditional safety feature of the tried and true brake light system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a third brake lighting system forindicating the application of brakes in a vehicle comprising: a panicillumination portion, where the panic illumination indicates an urgentdepression of the brakes by a driver of the vehicle; and a conventionalillumination portion, where the convention illumination portion abutsthe panic illumination portion and said conventional illuminationindicates a non-urgent depression of the brakes by the driver. Thepresent invention essentially provides a means to indicate an urgentdepression of the brakes by a driver of the vehicle; and a means toindicate a non-urgent depression of the brakes by the driver of thevehicle. In one particular embodiment, the means to indicate the urgentdepression includes at least one bulb and the means to indicate thenon-urgent depression includes an illuminated panel, where the at leastone bulb is positioned on the outer perimeter of the panel. In anotherparticular embodiment, the means to indicate the urgent depressionincludes a strip of illuminated lighting and the means to indicate thenon-urgent depression includes an illuminated panel, where said strip ofilluminated lighting surrounds the outer perimeter of the illuminatedpanel. In yet another embodiment, the means to indicate the urgentdepression includes illuminating an illumination panel at a first degreeof brightness and the means to indicate the non-urgent depressionincludes illuminating the illumination panel at a second degree ofbrightness, where the first degree of brightness is greater than thesecond degree of brightness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a first embodiment of a brake light illumination systemaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a second embodiment of the brake lighting systemaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a third embodiment of the brake lighting system accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts a fourth embodiment of the brake lighting systemaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides an illumination panel for a brake lightsystem that provides an indication of the urgency of brake applicationby the driver. The present invention includes illumination screens andconfigurations that provide a clear indication that a vehicle is makingan urgent or sudden braking due to the degree of force applied to thebrake by the driver. The present invention provides a third lightconfiguration and includes a predetermined lighting scheme that would beassociated with an urgent braking situation. The present inventionaccomplishes this through providing a designated portion of the thirdbrake light illumination, which gives indication of urgent applicationof the brakes. This indication is determined through the use of systemsthat may be placed in line with the braking system and thereforeindicating an urgent or a quick and hard application of the brakes bythe driver.

FIG. 1 depicts a first embodiment of a third brake lighting system 100according to the present invention. The third brake lighting system 100includes a brake light configuration 30. The brake light configuration30 includes a panic illumination portion 25 and a conventionalillumination portion 27. This split configuration provides a clearindication of the urgent application of the brakes has occurred. Thepanic illumination 25 lights in conjunction with the conventionalillumination 27 when the driver executes an urgent application of thebrakes. The panic illumination 25 may include a solid illumination, orin some instances, it may be programmed for a quick flashing light sothat it is clear that an urgent braking condition is taking place.

FIG. 2 depicts a second embodiment of a third brake lighting system 150.The third brake lighting system 150 includes a light configuration 32where the light configuration includes a conventional illuminationscreen 29. This illumination screen 29 takes up the entire portion ofthe brake light configuration 32. On top of this conventionalillumination screen 29 is a bulb 23. This additional bulb 23 lights uponthe urgent application of the brakes by the driver. Although depicted asa single bulb 23, the second embodiment of the third brake lightingsystem 150 may include a plurality of bulbs. With respect to this secondembodiment, the bulb provides the indication of an urgent application ofthe brakes by the driver while the conventional illumination screen 29provides an indication that a less urgent or a normal brake applicationis in progress.

FIG. 3 depicts a third brake light embodiment 200 according to thepresent invention. The brake light embodiment 200 includes a fullillumination screen 33 very similar to the conventional third brakelight currently in use. The full screen 33 provides two degrees ofillumination. A conventional application of the brakes provides a lessbright illumination of the filaments of the brake light 33. A moreurgent or panicked application of brakes provides a substantiallybrighter illumination of the brake light configuration 33. Consequently,the third embodiment 200 is a configuration that is dependent upon thebrightness of the illumination provided by the brake light 33.

FIG. 4 depicts a fourth embodiment, a third brake light embodiment 250according to the present invention. This brake light embodiment 250includes a brake light configuration 35. The brake light configuration35 includes a standard conventional brake light illumination 21surrounded by tracking lights 26. The tracking lights 26 surround theconventional illumination 21 and therefore indicates an urgent orpanicked application of the brakes. The brake light embodiment 250includes the tracking lights 26 that illuminates in a tracking manneraround a conventional illumination screen 21. Upon the urgentapplication of the brakes by the driver, these tracking lightsilluminate in a flashing or track lighting sequence. The illuminationtrack 26 gives any following vehicles an indication that an urgentapplication of the brakes has occurred by the driver.

The present invention provides a third brake light configuration, whichgives a clear indication of an urgent application of the brakes by thedriver. This further indication provides a clear communication of thebraking activities of the driver. The use of this third brake lightsystem therefore provides an additional safety feature for safe drivingand an additional method of reducing the likelihood of a rear-endcollision. The instant invention has been shown and described in what itconsiders to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It isrecognized, however, that departures may be made there from within thescope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to aperson skilled in the art.

1. A third brake lighting system for indicating the application ofbrakes in a vehicle comprising: a. a panic illumination portion, wherethe panic illumination indicates urgent depression of the brakes by adriver of the vehicle; and b. a conventional illumination portion, wherethe convention illumination portion abuts the panic illumination portionand said conventional illumination indicates a non-urgent depression ofthe brakes by the driver.
 2. A third brake lighting system forindicating the application of brakes in a vehicle comprising: a. a meansto indicate a urgent depression of the brakes by a driver of thevehicle; and b. a means to indicate a non-urgent depression of thebrakes by the driver of the vehicle.
 3. The third brake lighting systemaccording to claim 2, where the means to indicate the urgent depressionincludes at least one bulb and the means to indicate the non-urgentdepression includes an illuminated panel, where the at least one bulb ispositioned on the outer perimeter of the panel.
 4. The third brakelighting system according to claim 2, where the means to indicate theurgent depression includes a strip of illuminated lighting and the meansto indicate the non-urgent depression includes an illuminated panel,where said strip of illuminated lighting surrounds the outer perimeterof the illuminated panel.
 5. The third brake lighting system accordingto claim 2, where the means to indicate the urgent depression includesilluminating an illumination panel at a first degree of brightness andthe means to indicate the non-urgent depression includes illuminatingthe illumination panel at a second degree of brightness, where the firstdegree of brightness is greater than the second degree of brightness.